On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 1:32 AM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote:
> My feelings about McGraw's title is common knowledge on this group. > Whatever degree he earned and whatever license he held, I refuse to > refer to him by the title of doctor because I hold that title in > esteem (be it a doctor of medicine, psychology, or English > literature). He abused the title when he repeatedly appeared on both > his show and Oprah's and proceeded to diagnose people he'd never > actually met. He also counseled Britney Spears back when she was at > her worse, than broke confidentiality by standing on the steps of the > hospital where she was staying and speaking to camera crews about what > she'd said without her consent (he lost a large chunk of his savings > from that, as I recall). His advice is sophomoric and in most cases > moronic, and he seems to lack even a basic grasp on reality for middle > America. His dimestore quackery is emblematic of all that is wrong > with the mental health profession, and the public face he puts on the > vocation turns away those who need serious counseling or treatment. > I don't disagree with your disdain for McGraw, but to my knowledge he has never diagnosed people on either Oprah's show or his show (of course, I have never seen him on Oprah, nor ever seen his show, but the President of the American Psychological Association, and lots of other psychologists, have reassured us several times that that he has never done this. This would be clearly unethical - mostly because since he has been on television he has not been licensed to perform the mental health service of clinical diagnosis (or any other mental health service). He might say someone is a "co-dependent" or "an alcoholic" or something like that, but these are not formal psychiatric diagnoses. If anyone can refer me to a specific show in which he made a clinical diagnosis I would be really interested in tracking it down (I will then track down Pat and Kenny so they can read to me the Oprah transcripts). Also, as I mentioned before, McGraw did not counsel Ms Spears (again, he is not licensed to perform this service anymore), and can not break confidentiality (this is an ethical duty that only applies to licensed mental health professionals, of which he is not one). I would like to know what you are referring to about him losing a chuck of his savings, I am working from memory here, but I am pretty sure he was not sued, and if he was I am sure he did not lose a suit in court. It is possible he was sued and settled I suppose, and I just didn't follow it. He is a quack (IMO), but I dispute the claim he is emblematic of all that is wrong with the mental health profession. He is not a mental health professional (and never has been since before he has appeared on television). To paraphrase what another list member said in a different context recently, he has as much in common with a real mental health professional as J.D. does with a real physician. What is emblematic of all that is wrong with the mental health profession is the American Psychological Association giving McGraw a presidential medal and giving him credibility to whore after his large audience and Q Rating. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
